John Ingle , Times Record News 2:27 p.m. CT June 6, 2017

From left, San Francisco 49ers Eli Harold (58), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and Eric Reid (35) kneel during the national anthem before their NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.(Photo: Nhat V. Meyer, TNS)

The more I think about, the more I begin to believe there really is no such thing as free speech anymore.

(Cue the eye-rolling emoji. For the older generation that might not be as tech savvy; emojis are the equivalent of hand-drawn smiley faces back in the day, only these are digital types that express some sort of emotion.)

I hear people quite frequently even some who read this column say others have the right to their opinion, but not necessarily enough to make that opinion outwardly known. It's baffling at times. Some of is petty and insignificant, but some of it can be down right nasty.

Take the riots at the free-speech capitol of the country the University of California, Berkeley. Hundreds of disgruntled people took to the streets to protest speeches by two far right-wing personalities. I don't agree with what the two individuals have to say, for the most part, but they certainly have the right to do so. Right?

Some people who want to make a statement about business for one reason or another typically choose to do so by not purchasing their wares or shopping at their store. They don't force the business to shut down, they simply boycott it.

Then there is the Colin Kaepernick situation.

I defended Kaep when he decided that he would no longer stand for the national anthem, something that is well within his right. He was protesting to make a point, and he did. Right or wrong, he is protected by the First Amendment.

But there are consequences for that, too. It appears he is having difficulty finding a suitor willing to take on his reputation and employ his services, even as a back-up quarterback. Purely from a football perspective, Kaepernick's play, for one reason or another, certainly has fallen off after an incredible beginning to his young career. But, I don't think it has to the extent that all backups in the league are better than him.

So, you have to wonder: If it's not his play that is keeping him from the field, what is it? It has to be the stance he took and the attention it drew then and continues to draw now. His right to free speech is now costing him.

I also understand that football is a business, and they have internal rules for the betterment of the organization. Most businesses do. We have certain rules at the newspaper the prevents us from doing certain things, and we had them when I was active duty and civil service in the Air Force.

Nowadays, the only free speech that's really allowed is the free speech that is accepted by others. If the viewpoint is different, others will try to shut you down. The idea of true free speech is more like the mystical unicorn beautiful in theory but elusive.

As I close this out, I'm reminded that young men from allied countries stormed the beaches of Normandy 73 years ago on June 6, 1944. Fighting claimed more than 10,000, including more than 4,400 killed. They gave their lives for the ideologies of democracy and freedom, even a freedom that includes speech you don't necessarily agree with.

I think we can all agree that there is no place for hate speech or speech meant to incite the mob.

But, let's not lose sight of what the First Amendment was created to do.

Keep it real, Wichita Falls.

Business/metro editor John Ingle can be reached at john.ingle@timesrecordnews.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @inglejohn1973.

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Free speech becoming more of a mystical unicorn - Times Record News